Driving mechanism for airplanes



F. GLATZ.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1919.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

F. GLATZ.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, I919.

1,338,435. Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f/d' k.

I N VEN TOR ATTORNEY.

vMissouri- Driving Mechanism for Airplanes, of which UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

FRANK GLATZ, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AIRPLANES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

' To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FRANK GLA'rz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of haveinvented a new and useful the following is a specification.

My invention relates to drivmg mechanism for airplanes, and the ob ectof my 1nvention is to provide a durable and efficient driving mechanismhaving facility for driving a plurality of propellers.

I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which-Figure 1, is a front elevation of anairplane equipped with my invention, and showing a plurality ofpropellers driven thereby. Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the machinerybed. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the bed,taken on the line 33 on Fig.2. Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the body portion of an airplane,partly'broken away, and showing my invention arranged therein. Fig. '5,is a top plan view of the driving mechanism in operative position in thebody of an airplane, and showing the flat ringshaped gear device inthe'channel in the bed and means for driving the same. Fig. 6, is asectional view of the bed taken on the line 6-6, on Fig. 5, and showingthe gears in the gear pit operable by the ring-shaped gear device, andFig. 7, is a plan view of the flat ring-shaped gear device.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Referring to the drawin s1, is the body portion of an airplane in'w icha steam generator 2, is stationed and supplied with liquid or fluid fuelfrom a tank 3, flowing by gravity through pipes 4, and, preferablydelivered in the form of a spray, into a combustion chamber 5,associated with the steam generator. Steam cylinders 6, are disposedhorizontally above the steam generator and are provided with steampressurefrom the steam generator through pipes 7, the steam is throttledin the well known manner of steam engines by a throttle lever- 8, whichis extended from the throttle valve 9, inwardly of the airplane for theconvenience of the operator. Directly in advance of the steam as iron,steel, andthe like and, in this instance, is formed to have acylindrical body annularly extending channel 11, is formedin the upperend of the bed member and ad acent the outer edge thereof and aplurality of ballv bearings are mounted therein. A gear pit 13, isexcavated in the channel at the front of the bed member and 1s elongatedtransversely of the bed to a degree adapted for receiving a plurality ofgears forming part of the driving mechanism. A shaft 14, is revolublymounted in the body of the bed and transversely of the gear pit, onwhich shaft a gear 15, is mounted in such a manner that the cogs thereofshall project a little distance above the pit 13, into the channel 11. Ashaft 16 is revolubly mounted in the pit and in parallelism with theshaft 14, and a gear 17, is mounted thereon in engagement with gear 15.A shaft 18, is revolubly mounted across the pit at the opposite side ofthe shaft 14, and a gear 19, is mounted thereon, but is not engaged bythe gear 15. A shaft 20, is revolubly mounted across the pit below andadjacent the shaft 18, and a gear 21, is mounted thereon in engagementwith gear 19. All the gears mentioned are in the pit 13, the latter maybe provided with grease or other lubricant suitable for lubricatinggears operating at high speed. The shafts 16 and 18, are extendedoutwardly of the front side ofthe bed member and propellers 22, aremounted on the projecting ends thereof. If a single propeller is desiredthe shaft 14, is extended outwardly of the front of the bed member andequipped with a propeller. Posts 23, are mounted on the upper side ofthe bed member, at opposite sides thereof, and outwardly of the channel11, and in the center of the upper end of the bed a post 24, is mounted.A crank shaft 25, is journaled in the posts 23 and 24, at one side ofthe bed member and a crank shaft 26, is journaled in the posts 23 and24, at the opposite side of the bed. Crank shaft 25, is connected with aconnecting rod 27, and the latter connected with .a piston stem 28, ofone of the cylinders 6, and crank shaft 26, is connected with aconnecting rod 29, and the latter connected with the piston stem 30 ofthe steam cylinder 6, at the other side of the bed. A fiat ring-shapeddriving gear 31, having radially extending cogs or teeth 32, on itsupper and lower sides, is

' lodged in the channel 11, with its outer margin bearing on the ballbearings 12, and the cogs on its lower side are engaged by the gear 15.A gear 33, is mounted on the crank shaft 25, and is engaged by the cogson the upper side of the ring-shaped gear. A. gear 34, is mounted on thecrank shaft 26, and is engaged by the cogs on the upper side of thering-shaped gear. The crank shafts 25 and 26, are driven by thecylinders in op 0- site directions, the former is driven orwardly andthe latter rcarwardly and, thereby, the gears 33 and 34, also operate inreverse directions, but unitedly drive the ringshaped gearin its properdirection. \Vhile I show the driving mechanism operating with steampower it is understood that the same may be operated by any suitablepower, such as electric motors and gas motors.

My invention operates as followsThe cranks 25 and 26, are driven inopposite directions by the engines which are arranged and connected withthe cranks for this purpose. In Fig. 5, the crank 25, is shown goingover forwardly, at the forward stroke of its engine, and crank 26, isshown going over backwardly, at the back stroke of its engine. Crank 25,thus drives the gear 33, forward and crank 26, drives the gear 34,backward, thereby, forcing the ring-shaped gear to turn by their unitedaction, although operating in opposite direction. The lower side of thering-shaped gear drives the gear 15, and the latter drives the gears 17and 21, the latter gear driving the gear 19, the

motions of the respective gears, excepting the prime movers being shownby the arrows marked adjacent the gears, on Fig. 6. Thearrangement ofthe gears, in this in stance effect the driving of the propellers inIgpposite directions.

aving described my invention what I claim is A driving mechanism forairplanes. consisting of a bed member having an annular channel in itsupper side and a pit excavation in the channel, a flat ring-shaped geardevice operating in the channel in said bed member and having cogs orteeth on its upper and on its lower sides, oppositely disposedindependently operated crank shafts mounted on the upper side of saidbed memher and having gears engaged by the cogs on the upper side ofsaid ring-shaped gear device, a plurality of propeller shafts revolublymounted in said bed member and projecting outwardly therefrom andprovided with propellers and within the bed member with gears. powerreceiving and power imparting devices operating between said propellershafts and the lower side of said ring-shaped gear device, and means forturning said crank shafts in opposite directions.

Kansas City, Mo., June ith, 1919.

FRANK GLATZ.

\Vitnesses HENRY STUBENRAUOH, ELvA GILLHAM.

